بَقيتَ بقاءَ الدهر هل أَنْتَ عالمٌ

بَقيتَ بقاءَ الدهر هل أَنْتَ عالمٌ

من العَتب ما يُملى عليك وما أُملي

من العَتب ما يُملى عليك وما أُملي

May you endure as long as time—are you aware

You remained forever, are you aware

of the reproaches dictated to you and those I dictate?

Of the reproach laid upon you or what I lay down?

لقد كنتَ تجزيني بما أَنْتَ أهْلَه

لقد كنتَ تجزيني بما أَنْتَ أهْلَه

على الشعر قبل اليوم بالنائل الجزل

على الشعر قبل اليوم بالنائل الجزل

Indeed, you used to reward me in a manner worthy of you,

You used to reward me for what I deserved

for my poetry, before today, with lavish gifts.

For poetry before this day with generous gifts

فأرجعُ عن نعماك في ألف درهم

فأرجعُ عن نعماك في ألف درهم

أُزيلُ بها فَقري وأغني بها أهلي

أُزيلُ بها فَقري وأغني بها أهلي

So I would return with a thousand dirhams of your bounty,

So I gave up your favours of a thousand coins

with which I relieved my poverty and enriched my family.

With which I could end my poverty and enrich my family

فنقّصْتَني شيئاً فشيئاً جوائزي

فنقّصْتَني شيئاً فشيئاً جوائزي

وأوْقَفْت حَظِّي منك في موقف الذل

وأوْقَفْت حَظِّي منك في موقف الذل

Then you reduced my rewards little by little,

But you lessened my rewards little by little

and placed my lot with you in a position of humiliation.

And stopped my portion from you at the point of humiliation

فأصْبَحْتُ مثل الوقح لا فرق بينه

فأصْبَحْتُ مثل الوقح لا فرق بينه

وبَيني ولا بونٌ بجزء ولا كُلّ

وبَيني ولا بونٌ بجزء ولا كُلّ

So I became like a shameless man, with no difference between him

So I became like the shameless, no difference between us

and me, no disparity in part or whole.

Neither part nor whole

ولي فيك ملء الخافقين مدائح

ولي فيك ملء الخافقين مدائح

ولي غُرَرٌ ما قالها أحدٌ قبلي

ولي غُرَرٌ ما قالها أحدٌ قبلي

And I have praise-poems of you filling east and west,

And I have for you odes filling the horizons

and I have radiant verses no one before me has uttered.

And I have hidden pearls none before me have spoken

فمن أيّ وجه أَنْتَ أنزلتَ رتبتي

فمن أيّ وجه أَنْتَ أنزلتَ رتبتي

وأصبحتُ بعد الويل أقنع بالطل

وأصبحتُ بعد الويل أقنع بالطل

On what grounds, then, have you lowered my rank,

So from where did you lower my status

and, after misery, have I come to make do with dew?

And I became after woe content with little

فإنْ كانَ من بخل فلم يُرَ قبلها

فإنْ كانَ من بخل فلم يُرَ قبلها

فتًى من رسول الله يوصف بالبخل

فتًى من رسول الله يوصف بالبخل

For if it is due to stinginess, never before this has there been seen

If it was from stinginess, none before was described

a youth descended from God's Messenger described as stingy.

Among the messengers of God as stingy

وإنْ كانَ من قلٍّ هناك وجدته

وإنْ كانَ من قلٍّ هناك وجدته

فما تعذر القوم الكرام من القلّ

فما تعذر القوم الكرام من القلّ

And if it is due to scarcity you have found there,

If it was from lack of means, you would find it

then noble folk are not excused by scarcity.

As the generous are not faulted for lack of means

وإن كانَ من طعن العداة وقدحهم

وإن كانَ من طعن العداة وقدحهم

فما قولهم قولي ولا فعلهم فعلي

فما قولهم قولي ولا فعلهم فعلي

And if it is due to the enemies' attacks and their disparagement,

If it was from the enemies' slander and defamation

then their words are not my words, nor their deeds my deeds.

Their words are not my words nor their actions my actions

أكان لمولانا بذلك حكمة

أكان لمولانا بذلك حكمة

فقصّر عن إدراك حكمته عقلي

فقصّر عن إدراك حكمته عقلي

Did our master have some wisdom in this,

Was there some wisdom in our Master's actions

and did my mind fall short of grasping his wisdom?

That my mind fell short of perceiving?

فليس من الإنصاف مثلي تُضيعُه

فليس من الإنصاف مثلي تُضيعُه

وتجهله ظلماً وحاشاك من جهل

وتجهله ظلماً وحاشاك من جهل

For it is not just for you to let a man like me go to waste,

It is not just that one like me you would neglect

and disregard him unjustly—far be ignorance from you.

And oppress out of ignorance - God forbid such ignorance

وبحرك تيار ومالك وافر

وبحرك تيار ومالك وافر

وجودك معلوم وأَنْتَ أبو الفضل

وجودك معلوم وأَنْتَ أبو الفضل

And your sea is surging, and your wealth abundant,

Your sea of generosity still flows

and your generosity is known, and you are Abu al-Fadl.

Your existence still known, O father of excellence

وتبلغ منك النَّاس أقصى مرامها

وتبلغ منك النَّاس أقصى مرامها

ويحرم من دون الورى شاعر مثلي

ويحرم من دون الورى شاعر مثلي

And people attain through you their utmost aims,

People still reach through you their utmost hopes

while a poet like me, alone among humankind, is deprived.

Yet a poet like me is deprived